Savestate: A Demon's Pain
by UnderFlower
Summary: Three years after the events of Undertale, Frisk has settled down with their family. All is peaceful, until some unknown force revives an old adversary. Taking renewed control over Frisk's body, Chara has finally returned. Will Frisk be able to defend their family from Chara's revenge? Or will they fail, and leave the world to destruction?
1. A Promise to a Prince

**I realize that this type of fic is, for the most part, rather easy to find. Your classic 'Evil Chara Somehow Takes Over Again' story is not really hard to find. However, most of those particular stories seem to each be unique in their own way, having their own twists and turns along the way. And in this respect, I have endeavored to take this particular story a little bit further. And while this fic does start off as a few people may expect, I hope that I will be able to keep you reading until the end. As for afterward... Well, let's just say that I have a plan.**

 **Congrats if you managed to read this far into this A/N without skipping it. Kudos to you. I should probably mention that there will likely be spoilers, so... Yeah. Anyway, with that out of the way, let's get on with the show!**

 **Disclaimer: Undertale and its characters are all the creations of Toby Fox, and those who aided in their creation. Any OCs that you see at this point will be unimportant, but even so, any similarities to anybody real is purely coincidental.**

* * *

Savestate: A Demon's Pain

Chapter 0: A Promise to a Prince

Hesitation.

It's funny if you think about it.

Through all this, they haven't hesitated. They've showed no remorse, no pity...

No Mercy.

They've left a trail of dust in their wake, and they've overcome every obstacle. So many of my friends, my family, have died trying to stop them. Toriel and Asgore, Papyrus and Undyne, Mettaton...

Sans...

And of all those guardians and warriors, none could stand in Chara's path.

But now a flower is crying. He doesn't pose a threat, he doesn't stand any semblance of a chance. And yet, the one controlling me has hesitated.

And in that moment of hesitation, those few seconds of stillness, Chara made their first mistake.

They let their guard down. And that was all I needed.

Whatever Determination I had left, I lashed out with it. I threw myself against the ghost possessing me. The Real Knife clattered to the ground. Our shared body doubled over in agony as the two of us clashed for control. I must have taken them by surprise, they were unprepared for this retaliation.

For a brief few seconds, I managed to take back my control.

More than enough time.

And as I Reset, I looked down at Flowey the Flower.

And I smiled.

* * *

I fall again, and I land. My fall is broken as always by the same bed of flowers. I stand up, and I dust myself off, like always. I walk through the door at the end of the room. Mom still has to meet me, after all. Best not be late.

An angry presence swells for a moment inside my head. Chara had been close, they would be angry. A few minutes into the ruins, and they've gone silent.

From what I understand, Chara somehow leeches off my Determination. The higher my LOVE, the more they can take. And they had reached twenty LOVE.

By all rights, I shouldn't be standing here. But through some miracle, here I am. Only one LOVE, and Chara was powerless.

This was my third run. My first wasn't perfect. I killed something by accident, before realising I had the option of going back. When I did, it was too late. I had already Saved.

My second run was where it went downhill. A voice in my head spoke up. It told me it could help me to escape this place. And it would have. I would have escaped this mortal plane alongside my friends, and Chara would have my soul.

Second chances come rarely, but thirds are unheard of. No more mistakes. I had to get this right. I owed them all that much. I will save them. All of them.

And I swear on my soul, I will never hurt anyone again.

* * *

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

The words stung.

 _No,_ I wanted to say. _No, I don't._ And normally, I would have.

But I knew it wouldn't matter. Besides, I somewhat expected this.

I looked over my shoulder at the empty flowerpot I took from Mom's house. I had to spill out one of her flowers to make room. I'd apologise later. I felt the trowel I took from the King's garden in my pocket.

Silently, I sat down against the wall of the cave.

If Asriel wouldn't come, I wasn't going to drag him.

But I was going to carry him.

I'd take him to Alphys. With the right tools and support, maybe she could undo one more of her mistakes.

And as I carried Flowey down the mountain that night, I made him a promise.

"I will save you too."


	2. An Image of Today

**Disclaimer: Undertale and its characters are all the creations of Toby Fox, and those who aided in their creation. Any OCs that you see at this point will be unimportant, but even so, any similarities to anybody real is purely coincidental.**

Savestate: A Demon's Pain

Chapter 1: An Image of Today

It had been three years since that day.

Three whole years since I defeated Chara, and since the monsters had been freed.

I lived with my family now, in Ebboton, a city near the mountain where this began. Mom teaches English at the nearby elementary school. From what I hear, she's rather well-liked by the students. Dad's away a lot of the time due to his duties as king, but he loves spending time with us all the same.

Now, three years later, I'm almost fifteen.

So, too, is Asriel.

It was an ordeal figuring out how to save him. In fact, it took Alphys _and_ several human scientists almost a year to work it out completely. But they did, and that's what counts.

* * *

 _"An artificial soul?"_

 _A huge smile graced Alphys' face. "T-that's right Frisk! I've b-been working on it for uh, almost a month now!"_

 _A glowing upside-down heart hovered inside the glass tube. It pulsed with magic and Determination._

 _I turned and looked at Flowey, trying to gauge his reaction. He stared at it with his mouth hanging open, dumbfounded. I turned back to Alphys. "Are you sure that this will work?"_

 _"Yes," she replied, adjusting her glasses. "I've taken all the n-necessary precautions, and I've run all the diagnostics th-that I can think of. U-Um, there's just one thing you should know."_

 _She started to fumble with her hands._

 _"There isn't any way to measure the full capabilities of this soul. We don't know how to measure how much Determination it could hold." Sweat started to bead on her forehead. "Um! That is to say! Not that it'll be dangerous! I, uh, I mean that-"_

 _I grabbed her shoulders. "It's alright Alphys. Just tell me what you need to."_

 _She stopped shivering and calmed down. She raised her eyes back up to mine. "The only thing we know for sure n-now is that it'll work. We don't yet know its full capabilities. It c-could be able to hold a massive amount of Determination. Maybe... Maybe even more than yours."_

 _I let the words sink in. A question formed in my mind. "Couldn't he melt from too much Determination?"_

 _"No. Monsters do that because their souls are too weak to hold it much Determination. Theoretically, with a stronger soul, Prince Asriel would be safe."_

 _I nodded, and turned to look at Flowey, who had been surprisingly quiet throughout all this. He was still staring at the soul in its container._

 _"So what do you think?" I asked him._

 _He turned, slowly. There was a huge grin on his face, and a tear forming in his eye. "Yeah." he said. "I think I'm ready."_

* * *

It feels like yesterday.

And yet it feels like a lifetime ago.

Since I fulfilled my promise to Asriel and finally saved him.

I'm finally able to stop moving and just rest at last. And that what we've all been doing. Me, my family, and all of monster-kind.

Mankind had been, for the most part, accepting of them. Though understandably sceptical at first, the government slowly opened up to us, giving us homes, education, and everything that we were in need of. The monsters had settled down, free from their prison at last. But of course, there are always a few naysayers.

Governor Will Johnson was the head of the so-called 'Anti-Monster Movement,' an organisation that wants nothing but to see us imprisoned again. But honestly, they aren't really a big issue anymore. The monsters are here to stay. And we've made quite certain of that.

But none of that mattered right now. This was the last day, after all.

School is ending.

Everyone loves the last day of school. When you sit in your chair and just decide to watch the others, you can practically feel the electricity in the air. The students all sit and steal glances at the clock on the wall, hearing the seconds tick slowly by. The teachers sit at their desks, a huge grin on their face, ready to go to their own homes and sleep without having to worry about watching thirty kids a day.

A bead of sweat hits the floor.

And then the bell rings.

Complete chaos is what follows; an ocean of half-crazed students flowing through the halls and out the doors, breaking from the crowd only to cry out in joy. The smart students linger a moment.

I turn to my brother, the prince of all monsters, and him to me.

We grin at each other as we stand up to leave.

* * *

We lay under the old oak tree at the top of a hill near our home.

"Frisk?"

"Yeah Azzy?"

He turned to me, an expression of slight concern on his face. "I've had a question I've been holding in for a while."

I sit up. "What's Up?"

"It's about... Chara."

My eyes go wide.

 _Chara._

 _The Fallen Human._

 _The Angel of Death._

 _The demon that comes when you call its name._

I tensed up."What's bothering you?

The question came out sharper than I meant it to.

"Well... I was wondering if... if they were still up in your head? Like, can you still hear them?"

"No." I pause. "I stopped hearing Chara a long time ago."

It was true. Chara hadn't exactly been very active since we left the Underground. Inactive, Sans said. Chara shouldn't be able to do a thing unless I wake them up. The only thing that I _can_ do that might wake them at this point is a Reset. And I promised Sans, never again.

Chara could stay sleeping. They couldn't hurt anybody that way.

"hey, kids."

We looked in the direction of the voice.

"Hey, Sans!"Asriel got to his feet.

Sans had been doing a lot better. He'd recently gotten through a massive depression. He was sleeping better, now that he'd stopped having nightmares. He lived with his brother, in the house next door to us. He'd recently become something of an urban legend in our neighbourhood, challenging people to street races and never losing.

He rides a tricycle.

And then there's the puns.

Sans didn't have a job, didn't really need one. Papyrus provided more than enough for the both of them.

"just got news from Toriel. she wants the two of you home in ten minutes. she's making dinner, and there's a butterscotch-cinnamon pie for dessert."

I was already moving before he finished.

* * *

There are only a few more days until my fifteenth birthday.

At school, I've seen Asriel whispering to Monster Kid when I'm not looking. One needn't be a genius to realise what they're probably planning. I'll probably still act surprised by whatever type of birthday party they throw at me.

Now laying in bed, I can't help but think back to my conversation with Asriel. I wonder how long he'd been holding that question back? He probably thought we could find a way to save Chara like we saved him. Maybe we could try. I know that Asriel misses Chara more than he lets on, just as I know that there is still good in Chara.

That moment of hesitation let me regain control of my body, and the Reset I did drained the Love from my soul. Chara was left too weak to regain a hold on me. And then I had to explain everything to Sans.

That was anything but a fun conversation. That skeleton can really hold a grudge.

If Chara _could_ be saved, then it was Alphys that could save them. I'd talk to her the first chance I got.

I closed my eyes and let sleep claim me.

* * *

Little did I know that as I slept, something massive was about to change. In a nexus of realities, a being watched carefully.

 **"This is the one."**

Extending its power, it reached out to our reality, and perhaps more specifically, to me. As its power permeated my mind, body and soul, it searched for one thing in particular. Finding this, the being transferred just enough of its own power to alter the course of events, changing the timeline beyond recognition. And something awoke, there, in the darkness.

As the being reigned in his power, a voice from my own mind thanked it. This was their second chance.

Chara had returned.

And this time, they would not fail.

...

Sans awoke in a cold sweat.

* * *

Under Mt. Ebbot, between Snowdin and the Ruins, lay an old cave with a small hut at the end.

Ever so slowly, the door creaked open and a small form walked out.

The door swung shut, the small creature walked out of the cave, tail wagging.

And the only sign that anything had changed was a few tiny paw prints on the ground.


	3. Familiar Pain

**Disclaimer: Undertale and its characters are all the creations of Toby Fox, and those who aided in their creation. Any OCs that you see at this point will be unimportant, but even so, any similarities to anybody real is purely coincidental.**

 **Sorry this took so long. I've been going through some things I'd rather not speak on.**

Savestate: A Demon's Pain

Chapter 2: Familiar Pain

I woke up with a headache.

My limbs were sore, and my throat was parched. I slowly dragged myself out of bed and walked to the bathroom.

I turned on the tap of the sink and splashed some cold water on my face. I looked up into the mirror. A pair of red eyes stared back at me. I stumbled back and blinked. I looked again and...

Nothing out of the ordinary.

Just my normal brown.

I shook my head. ' _Must have been more tired than I thought,_ ' I thought to myself. Shaking it off, I go back to my room to get dressed before walking downstairs.

I poured myself a bowl of cereal and flicked on the TV. I was greeted by the deep voice of Mettaton.

He was doing very well for himself. He had successfully become the proud owner of his own television network. His channels covered all forms of media. From sports to news broadcasts to romantic comedy, everything was featured on the ever-popular MTT station.

And he was the star of every single show.

Even Alphys doesn't know how he has the time for it.

This particular channel covered the morning news. He was currently interviewing a Moldsmal that had written several books about his experiences underground. They were rising in popularity and had won several awards. We had to read one for our English class a year ago. It was amazing and heartfelt, and connected to so many people on an emotional level...

But I can't help but wonder how it was written in the first place. Moldsmals don't have any arms.

Asriel walked into the room and plopped down onto the couch, a plateful of toast in his hand, slathered in snail butter. "Morning, Frisk," he said.

"Hey Azzy. How'd you sleep?"

"Fine." He yawned. "What're you watching?"

"Mettaton's interviewing the author of that book from Mom's class."

"You mean that really good one about the difficulties of having people disrespect you for not having any brains?"

"That's the one."

We watched TV as we ate. A while later, Mom walked into the room, bags under her eyes, a cup of coffee in her hand. She let out a quick, low hum of greeting. She wasn't exactly a morning person.

Suddenly, the broadcast changed.

"Breaking news! Governor William Johnson, head of the Anti-Monster Movement, has attempted to pass a new law. The contents of that law would see that Monsters were treated as second class citizens rather than equals.

It cut to a statement from the man himself. His greasy blonde hair, steely grey eyes under thick glasses, lips parted in a sneer that showed off his yellowed teeth.

"Are the Monsters not technically illegal immigrants? They have been here three years and what do we have to show for it? If they are so brilliant with their magic, why haven't they consented to let humans study it, maybe find a way to use it themselves? If they don't add to our society, the maybe they-"

The TV clicked off.

"That's enough of that, I think. Mom's cranky enough as is." Azzy put down the remote.

He was right; she was glaring daggers at the television, her coffee starting to bubble from the heat of her magic flaring under her skin.

She calmed down quickly enough, and ushered us out of the room.

They stayed quiet, and watched.

The idiots could believe what they wanted. They could believe that the peace they had found would last. That they were safe.

It wouldn't matter. The same end result would arrive.

No hesitation would come this time.

Chara smiled.

 _Soon._

After breakfast, we waited for Mom to wake all the way up, and then got ready to go over to Monster Kid's house at the edge of town. As one of our closest schoolyard friends, we saw him often. His life was rather difficult in school, what with his lack of arms. He had to use a transcriptionist whenever he wrote a test, and was officially was classified as a 'Special Needs' case. He used to be bullied by some humans, but we saw to it that they stopped. In fact, they're on friendly terms now.

We had plans with Kid today to go out into the woods to look at the birds, and later to stay up as long as we could playing video games.

We piled into the van. Most cars were too small for Mom and Dad, what with them being Boss Monsters.

"Your father phoned. He should be coming home tomorrow to visit," said mom. "He's very happy to be coming home. He should be here for at least a week."

Asriel and I shared a grin. That was good news. We barely ever got to see our dad nowadays, and with Johnson being the constant pain he was, dad was often busy dealing with public backlash among other things.

We arrived at Kid's house in a few minutes. Asriel and I jumped out of our car excitedly and ran up to the porch. Asriel knocked on the door.

Kid's house was built specially for his family, with several modifications on account of them not having any arms. For example, the door was not only operated by magic but also lacked a doorknob. It was operated by magic.

The door slid open to reveal Monster Kid's mother, a tall, dinosaur-like monster who could be intimidating if she tried. She towered over even Toriel and Asgore.

"Hello, children. Kid has been waiting quite eagerly for your arrival," she said. "won't you come in?"

We walked in and took off our shoes. We ran up the stairs at the end of the hall to Kid's room.

"Behave!" Toriel shouted after us.

Monster Kid smiled when he saw us. "Hey guys!"

He was dressed in his usual orange and yellow stripes. II knew for a fact that he has a closet full of the same shirts, as well as a suit of armour in his size given to him and signed by Undyne. It's almost too heavy to wear, but it would take a tank shell to damage it. Kid doesn't wear it for fear of smudging the autograph.

"Wanna get going?" he asked.

"Sure thing!"

We all ran out the back door and into the nearby woods. We ran past a few of the more wild monsters along the way. As we eventually reached the clearing we often hung out in, Kid tripped. He landed flat on his face, sliding a few feet along the ground. He rolled over and laughed.

We stayed there watching the birds and the sky for hours, until the sun began to lower.

We started heading back when the fireflies started to show up.

We played games in bed until after midnight, Kid playing with his feet as well as anyone could play with their hands.

Eventually, we all succumbed to our fatigue.

I had a nightmare that night.

One that I hadn't gotten in a long, long time.

A nightmare about genocide.

Dust coats my hands as I loosely grip the toy knife, Mom in front of me, kneeling as her Soul shatters and she fades to dust.

Being forced to step forward against my will, Papyrus' arms outstretched in front of me as I feel the punch I am forced to throw, his last words of encouragement falling on deaf ears.

The shock on Kid's face as he witnesses his heroine cleaved in half, her rage and determination never fading until the very end.

Mettaton taking a pointless stand, now too weak to measure up in comparison with the demon of the Underground.

Sans.

And those harrowing last words.

"don't say i didn't warn you."

Asgore trying so vainly to negotiate, even as he is drawn into a fight, and his surprise when he is struck down as if he was nothing.

And then...

"Please don't kill me..."

The dream fades to red. And then a voice.

 _"Soon."_

I woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for air.

Asriel's voice brought me out of the resulting stupor. "You alright, Frisk?"

I blinked and nodded slowly. I hadn't had that nightmare in a year, easy. I had thought that I was over the nightmares after so long. Guess not.

The memory of my second run through the Underground was haunting and vivid. I don't want to imagine what would have become of me had I been unable to stop it. Sometimes I would still see things that brought it to mind. Sometimes it gave me short panic attacks. I knew how to combat them now.

Frankly, it's somewhat surprising that I wasn't worse off for it.

Sans looked at the screens of the machine he kept in his basement, a serious look on his face.

He had felt it yesterday in the early morning. Something had happened.

Something had disrupted the flow of time.

It wasn't the kid. No, Sans knew what the kid's abilities felt like. This was different. Something new. Something far stronger than anything the kid could pull off.

There! On the monitor to the left! A massive fluctuation, the likes of which he had never seen before!

Sans remembered the feeling that woke him yesterday, remembered that he had panicked over the sheer magnitude of the power that washed over him, unlike anything he had felt before.

Something was about to happen. And whatever it was, it was going to be big.


End file.
